Beyond Allegiance
by Atthla
Summary: What may blossom beyond the Little Dragon's loyalty and his foe's vanity after their first encounter at the battlefield [Cao Pi x Zhao Yun]
1. Chapter 1

**Beyond Allegiance **

**Author: Atthla**

**Disclaimer:** Characters in this story belong to themselves as they did exist long time ago. The book _Three Kingdoms_, from where I take many references for this story, is written by Luo Guanzhong and translated by Moss Roberts. The game _Dynasty Warriors 5_, which makes this story possible and from where the characters' appearance I base upon, belongs to KOEI and Omega Force. I only own the plot, so don't bother to sue me.

**Warning:**

1. Male/male pairing, which is Cao Pi/Zhao Yun for now as I have yet to decide a final pairing.  
2. Major inaccuracy to what happen in both the book and the game, except for the opening movie (which is the point _why _I am writing this fanfiction).  
3. Possibility of grammatical mistakes.  
4. A romance story despite the action scenes I may put in between, so if you're looking for a pure romance or a pure action, I suggest you to leave or read at your own risk.  
5. A slow update is guaranteed, although I will do my best to contradict this belief.

**Dedication:** To everyone who thinks that the opening movie of _Dynasty Warriors 5_ implies more than what the eyes perceive.

**Notes:** Is it just me or I do pick up the weirdest pairings? No one else seems to be writing either Cao Pi/Zhao Yun or Gan Ning/Ling Tong (in my previous fic). I hope it's just me not searching wide enough.

* * *

**Chapter 01**

The field was quiet.

Perhaps it was strange that a battleground, which stretched vast as far as eyes could see and filled with never-ending lines of soldiers, could be classified as quiet. But it was how the condition was to Zhao Yun's eyes – or rather, ears – as he stood steadfastly before the inestimable rows and columns of Wei soldiers. The only noises spoiling the eerie quietude came from the stronghold far in front of him, relating hasty battle preparation and – perhaps – also curious murmurs questioning this foolish man who dared to challenge that myriad of an army alone.

It _was_ indeed foolish, the Shu general admitted wryly, to think that the idea of one man defeating an army that enormous as feasible in any sense. To make the situation looked even more uninviting, said opposing army had actually been _waiting_ for the arrival of their enemy, no less than ready in each position they were prepared to defend with their lives. With that innumerable number, he wondered how he could keep himself alive until his own army arrived.

Then again, even if by any chance he could survive this extreme slaughter and yet could not help but to suffer some _minor_ injuries, Kongming would still eat him alive for hazarding his wonderfully and meticulously planned stratagem.

Zhao Yun winced.

Of course, he understood the gist of the matter and his significant responsibility. To put simply, he was to smash the towering spirits of the Wei Army since Shu obviously could not even try to contest them in number, as the Sleeping Dragon had kindly pointed out during their pre-battle meeting. This put them in a very disadvantageous position concerning the morale of their troops while their enemy must be quite encouraged by this overwhelming difference.

And that grave of a responsibility, was trusted to him. Oh yes, Kongming trusted him. Very much so. No doubt of that.

Back to the problem at hand, he reminded himself as his gaze swept across the ominous crowd in front of him. They looked ready to trample him to death and yet still held back warily, probably as a result of his bravery – or stupidity, he was not sure. The Shu army's vanguard, led by Ma Chao was quite far behind him and so did General Huang Zhong's army from the west. It made him wonder if he should retreat to a safer ground, otherwise his life might pay for it.

However, running from a battle had never been the Little Dragon's trait, especially when he was entrusted with such weight.

Once again Zhao Yun studied the army before him and sighed. He might be able to overcome this. Just probably. He would worry about his cool, cunning, but occasionally temperamental strategist later.

Spinning his spear to take an offensive stance, the Shu general readied himself as the deep, throbbing sound of drum echoed in the battlefield, smoothly twisting the stillness.

And the earth shook.

Zhao Yun took a deep breath before he also sprang forward in full speed, tossing his cape in process as Wei soldiers closing in about him. The first few slashes he could dodge effortlessly, but their number definitely was not that easy to handle as more spears and swords joined the fight. His Fierce Dragon was dancing wildly under his command, lashing and cutting every flesh within its extensive reach, all the way also preventing the slightest injury to be inflicted to its holder. Collapsing bodies marked his journey as he slowly but steadily made his way into the heart of the army.

After a few minutes he began to loosen up although not lowering his defenses in the slightest. The Wei soldiers were fierce but nothing he could not handle and he merely had to carry this stunt for a few more minutes before the arrival of his main army. Might as well give them a little surprise. Gathering all power he had into his arms, the Little Dragon slammed his spear onto the earth and, much to everyone's horror, let the impact to take care of the rest, throwing himself and every soldier around him into the air.

The Tiger General took a deep breath while he was in the air, allowing a moment of peace to relieve his strained nerves as terrified cries erupted from everywhere about him. Now, if only Zhuge Liang chose to appear right at this instant, their nearly impossible strategy would turn out to be an utter triumph.

Suddenly, as if his silent prayer had been answered, there was a cloud of dust rising from the south. _Such luck,_ Zhao Yun grinned to himself. Or maybe not. His lord's strategist did have the most impeccable timing after all.

It was then when he turned his gaze to the right and took notice of a man engulfed with an air of importance, from the stronghold observing the battle – no, him. The keen eyes were trained on him and even from that far, Zilong could distinguish a smirk playing on his thin lips, as if he was amused by the massacre done to his own army by a single man.

Must be the commander, Zhao Yun thought to himself. Then, struck by a sudden idea, he plunged forward to the citadel, spear ready in hand. The man seemed unsurprised by his assault and in return pulled out a two-edged sword, no less than willing for a duel. A pair of weapons clashed as the Tiger General descended onto the earth and for a moment, both of them were engaged in a battle of strength. The other man was evidently taller than he was, but Zilong was also fully aware that there were not many who could outmatch him in the force department.

No actual victor had been defined when both competitors withdrew simultaneously. There was a long silence, the army undoubtedly coming into a halt with no opponent to face as the two generals eyed each other, studying, appraising each adversary.

The Wei officer was the first to speak up. A low timbre of a strong, authoritative voice, clearly accustomed to commanding and superiority, reverberated in the stillness; calm, completely unperturbed by the steady, ominous sound of the approaching enemy's army.

"So, do I finally have the honor to come face to face with the Dragon of Chang San?"

Zhao Yun stood steadfastly on his place, unsure for a moment how to respond. Not lowering his spear, he then replied with politeness that might put any amusement his opponent had displayed to shame. "I am just Zhao Yun."

The other man laughed, a short, derisive, but oddly not exactly unpleasant laugh. "You are not a just," he declared, tone resplendent with so many contradictions that Zilong could not quite place whether it was a scorn or something less vicious. The Wei general studied him closely, as close as he could get without stirring the Fierce Dragon into motion, and then added with an ambiguous smile, "A warrior who has the courage to ride through eight-hundred-thousands army alone to Chang Ban Bridge is impossible a mere just."

Never a man who had a particular fondness for sarcasm, Zhao Yun took his stance without more ado. "No matter who I am, I shall never let anyone to stand before my lord's way."

Another smile, equally amused but less friendly, appeared on the opponent's lips as he too prepared to attack. "If such if the case, then I, Cao Pi, shall be your first challenger."

"My pleasure," the Tiger General smiled stiffly and, after a deep intake of breath, charged forward.

Once more a spear and a sword clashed, the sound visibly alarming every Wei soldier in the vicinity even more as they took several hasty steps back. Zhao Yun barely took any notice of this as his attention was centered on the man before him who was launching a torrent of continuous assaults. The opponent was doubtless skilled, as expected from the heir of the Wei Kingdom, but the Little Dragon was certain that when it came to fighting skill, he still held the upper hand.

His confidence proved to be right when a frown began to take shape on the other man's face, smirk vanishing entirely. Panic began to swell, which quickly resulted in slower reactions and poorer judgments. Not missing a chance, the Little Dragon pressed him even harder, letting not a gap of escape, not a space to breath between his full attacks.

Victory was close.

A finishing struck was about to be dealt when suddenly arrows flurried from every side, forcing the Shu officer to pull back his spear and defend himself from the assault. Each one of them had been repelled when he then noticed from the corner of his eyes, that Cao Pi had disappeared into the citadel. It took only the fraction of a second for him to determine what to do and he immediately pursued the fleeing general, leaving behind the heavy sound of drums signaling the arrival of his ally. Ma Chao should be able to handle the discouraged army just fine.

Inside, the air was still as if the towering wall of stones had kept the wind from breaching into the fort. Only encountering a number of guards, Zhao Yun easily fended them off and kept chasing the sound of footsteps, going deeper fearlessly into the heart of the citadel. The sound of the battle outside was waning but he could simply care less, bent on his hunt to catch the enemy general. With Cao Pi captured, an instant victory for Shu in this battle was assured and as further corollaries, Wei would lose one of its central pillars while Cao Cao his valuable heir. Only few among other news would be able to make his lord feel happier, he knew it, especially after their continuous defeats of late.

The chase had brought him into the castle's inner courtyard, where he came to a halt to evaluate his surrounding. Not a sign of a soldier, and obviously not of his prey. It was truly a wonder how weak the resistance he had met, also how quiet the fort was for one gambled in the crucial battle. He was contemplating this point when all of a sudden a chilling thought entered his mind.

An ambush.

Just after he had recognized the exact vulnerability of his situation, archers emerged from behind the shadows and caught him surrounded in a thick, full circle. The Tiger General almost cringed, his heart thundering inside his chest as he glanced around and, to his utmost distress, found not a single escape route. There were almost a hundred of them, each holding a crossbow with the tips of their arrow aimed at the clear, easy target in front of them. Even the most amateur of archers would have a serious difficulty to miss said target.

Zhao Zilong was not a man who valued his life so highly, yet he did realize that the loss of him would be a real blow for his army. That a general could allow such carelessness to occur was a grave mistake in itself, not to mention if it brought to him his very end. Death did not daunt him, but the disappointment on his lord's face doubtlessly would.

Above the stairs leading to the main chamber, their commander appeared wearing a smile Zhao Yun was certain never to forget all his life. The two-edged sword was flaunted menacingly in one hand while the other was set haughtily, mockingly on his waist and words came pouring out of his mouth in colorful notes of amusement. "To fall for such a trick. I have never expected the mighty Little Dragon to have this short of a sight. Is this really the first time that your bravery has led you astray?"

Not allowing his emotion to get the best of him, the Little Dragon replied as calm as possible, "I may be lacking in tactical approach, but I always have my skill to assist me."

For a moment, the smile on the other man's lips seemed to take a turn to restrained wonder, no longer bearing whispers of ridicule. But it only lasted for a blink and on the next second Zhao Yun had found himself again face to face with the proud heir of Wei. "Courageous and confident, it is what you are," he pointed out with a degree of pure sarcasm, the smirk returning thoroughly to his face. "We shall see if it indeed has a base."

With a nonchalant air, the young lord raised his free hand as Zhao Yun readied his Fierce Dragon.

The next thing his ears heard was the sound of arrows raining down upon him.

To be continued

* * *

**Notes:** I know I don't give the opening enough justice with my average writing, but since it is where my story begins, I don't have many choices, do I? Hopefully this prologue can pass as tolerable. Please leave me a review if you have a comment. Thank you for reading! 


	2. Chapter 2

**Beyond Allegiance**

**Author: Atthla**

See disclaimers and warnings in chapter 01

* * *

**Chapter 02**

"You _are_ mad."

Zhao Yun looked up from his engaging task of cleansing the tip of his spear, inwardly grimacing as the imposing presence of Ma Chao strode into the tent, face wearing a deep shade of unnatural red under the insufficient light of few candles, his large hand clasping his own spear as if ready to strike.

"Halt," the older general commanded firmly, the half-cleaned edge of his spear now was pointed to the face of his wrathful guest. Ma Chao, seething and boiling, quite oddly _did _stop even though he looked absolutely ready to devour the sharp blade conveniently put before his mouth and just get down to whatever business he was coming for. One had to wonder why instead of doing just that he decided to show a rather astonishing level of patience and settled on issuing a low threatening growl.

Unimpressed by the inhuman sound, Zhao Yun did not lower his spear, but glowered at his newly arrived comrade instead. "Contrary to what you may have in mind, I am able to make a guess of what you're about to say, _General._ So please do us both a favor and leave me in peace."

The redness on Ma Chao's face had soon dissolved into disturbing shades of white at the given reply, which quickly alarmed Zilong despite his armed state. The taller commander seemed to be battling a giant urge to thrust his spear into the man who was so daringly pointing a sharp object at him, fellow Tiger General or not. Few moments had passed with the two of them glaring at each other mutely but heatedly, before Ma Chao managed to articulate through gritted teeth, "I hope you also realize that it is the stupidest act I've ever seen pulled by anyone, sane or not."

Falling in with the undeclared offer of a truce, Zhao Yun pulled his Fierce Dragon back onto his lap and replied defensively, "It seemed to be a good idea back then."

"Oh yeah, it was flawless," the other man said acidly, taking a few steps forward to loom in his full height over his much-inferiorly-sitting comrade. "So flawless that it was downright stupid. I'm really waiting for you to get chewed by Kongming for being such an idiot."

"I have, in case you need to know," was the Little Dragon grave retort.

"Good, you deserve that," Ma Chao spat, not taking a breath of pause in rebuking the other general. "Do you have any idea how pale our lord looked when he heard about you charging alone into the enemy's fortress? You and your foolish bravery! Why couldn't you just wait like a good boy until I arrived? It couldn't be that long!"

"I suppose I owe you an apology," Zhao Yun said, still with a steady voice even though one could plainly see the rebellious ocean reflected in his eyes.

"I don't need that," the taller general hissed as his hand reached forward to grasp the front fabric of his friend's battle gown. "You owe it not to me, but to those who believe so much in you that their hopes and dreams may shatter if you are to die so inanely. You owe it to your lord, whose hopes in you are so high and substantial, and to your men, who trust you so blindly though I can hardly understand what they actually see in you. Not to me, you see?

Zilong was silent for a moment, either to keep his unvoiced rage firmly under control or to prepare the cruelest of answers the other man did not know. But his tone reflected nothing else but plain quietness when he inquired, too quiet to Ma Chao's liking, "Does it mean you do not trust me?"

The question, simple and clear, made his breath momentarily caught in his throat and he stared at the other general, incredulous and – if one chose to have a closer look – more than a little hurt. It did not suppose to appear, not with a friendship like theirs as support. But perhaps his friend did not understand, did not see his panic when he had entered the battlefield and found not a glimpse of him. Recalling his breath of relief when Zhao Yun eventually appeared from behind enemy lines, not uninjured but quite safe nonetheless, the younger general found out that he was rather annoyed by the impassiveness displayed before him. His grip tightened, creasing the cloth under his fingers even more, his voice rough and bitter. "You know better than to ask me that question."

Emotions trickled back into the Little Dragon's eyes and he raised his hand to clasp the other man's wrist, feeling the blood pulsing erratically under the warm, rough skin, a hint of remorse buried deep within his tenor. "Let me convince you that no such foolishness will take place again in the future."

It took Ma Chao long to respond, during which time they only stared at each other, wondering, contemplating. Slowly, almost gently, he released Zhao Yun but made no attempt to escape the firm grip fastened upon him. The anger had dissolved from his countenance when he replied, though still evenly, "Show it by actions, Zilong, not mere words."

"I always do," Zhao Yun was fast to answer, his tone somber.

"I know," the other general murmured, but then realized that his voice was a good deal too soft for the warrior he was famous as and, much to the embarrassment which suddenly had risen inside his chest, pried his hand out of his friend's fingers. Clearing his throat to ease the awkwardness, he muttered afterward, "Well, I guess it is my turn to apologize for lashing out at you so...mercilessly."

There was a small glint of amusement, radiant in the middle of vast, green oceans that were Zhao Yun's eyes. "You know better than to apologize to me, Mengqi."

"Don't turn my own words against me, you bastard," Ma Chao retorted sharply – or at least tried to – but failed entirely to cover the same amusement which had coloured his voice.

"It's called tact, my friend," was Zilong's calm but victorious reply.

"You're spending way too much time with Jiang Wei," the taller general shook his head in disapproving manner, all the time struggling not to grin too wide. "As you wish I will leave you in peace now, but do not forget that I have your words."

Zhao Yun had a little smile on his lips, but maintained a degree of sincerity in his voice. "I shall remember it by heart."

After Ma Chao had left, the Little Dragon returned to the cleaning task with a much lighter heart and evidently better mood. He was about to turn his attention to the Fierce Dragon's shaft when a loud voice boomed and Zhang Fei appeared at the entrance of his tent.

"Hey you, smartass boy! I have something to say to you!"

* * *

While Zhao Yun was dealing with his fellow Tiger Generals, in another, much larger pavilion sat Zhuge Liang with his renowned student. The esteemed strategist was currently evaluating said student's countenance which had assumed a small yet noticeable nonetheless frown for the last five minutes. Now and then, a soft, long sigh would be released even though those keen eyes never strayed far from the lesson that was being given, which evoked even greater curiosity from the older man albeit no hint of this interest was perceptible.

A minute later, after much weighing and eliminating, Kongming stopped in the middle of his sentence, deliberately but not too suddenly. Jiang Wei turned a pair of inquisitive eyes to him which, to his queer satisfaction, was a little later than he expected as an initial reaction. For a long uncomfortable moment, he only smiled, his fingers running a slow track on the length of his beard, a gesture which was returned with a politely confused gaze from the other occupant of the room. After sufficiently did so, he then decided to inquire pleasantly, "Jiang Wei, am I correct to assume that I do not have your full attention here?"

"No, Prime Minister. You do have my full attention, I can assure you that."

The answer was quick to come and yet not too quick to rouse suspicion from lesser people, a definition which unfortunately excluded Zhuge Liang at once. It was still a nice effort though. Evidently he was not wrong in his judgment about this young man.

Leaning back to his chair to assume an innocuous pose, the Sleeping Dragon said afterward, "Well then, please repeat what I have just instructed to you."

It took only a fraction of a second for Jiang Wei to prepare an answer, his voice echoing prudent confidence. "You were instructing me to prepare a battalion at the east side of the plain as a counterattack for the previous aggression dealt to our second advance guard."

"At the east side of the plain," Kongming repeated amiably, still wearing a peculiar smile on his face. "Regrettably I have to inform you that you have just killed one third of our army."

For the first time, the cool, calm and collected mask cracked. "I– I have, Sir?"

"Utterly," the older strategist emphasized, a morsel of congeniality ebbing from his voice although the smile was still there. "It was not at the east side of the plain. I was saying at the east side of the plain _and_ north of the river. The southern bank of the river, as you may be able to see, is an area enclosed by woods. I do prefer my student to be able to recognize the threat in setting an ambush at such area." He paused, relishing the little triumph as colours started to surface on the younger man's face before continuing, "Now, if you can be honest enough as to disclose to me the reason of this grave inattentiveness."

Jiang Wei fell silent at the demand, merely looking at the tip of his master's feather fan. His eyes were still cast down when with a small voice he finally answered, "Prime Minister, I do not think it is of any importance to have to bother you."

"I shall be the judge of that," Kongming stated firmly.

"Really, Sir, the matter is too trivial. I do not suppose it is even worth thinking as a 'matter'," the apprentice insisted, panic lending rough edges to his usually gentle voice.

It surely was something new. Not that Jiang Wei always confessed every little thing to him, but the young man was generally quite honest and most of the times would speak of his trouble frankly though cautiously to him. Such development, of course, was not unforeseen to the Sleeping Dragon, especially when the fact of his trusted student's still young age was taken into account. Suppressing a smile, Zhuge Liang replied with a touch of austerity in his voice, "Well, if you do not see it fit to confide in me, I will not press you further. But show me another hint of inattention, Jiang Wei, and I will immediately dismiss you from my side without a doubt."

"Understood, Sir," the scolded student responded meekly.

"Now if you may be so kind as to summon General Zhao and Xing Cai here. There is a plan I need to discuss."

Following Jiang Wei' departure from the pavilion, the Sleeping Dragon fell deep into his thoughts. This so-called plan was necessary if not important, even though he doubted the latter much. There was nothing such unimportance in the word of endless scheming, but to send out one of the best generals... Kongming frowned. His lord had clearly pointed out that his prime minister should have every required authority in military matters and he did not doubt the Little Dragon's ability as well as common sense. However, if the worst were to happen, his regret would be boundless, not to mention eternal.

Someone still had to do it. Shu might have many spies who excelled in stealth, and yet this task required not only that but also a skill more than average. Temper was indispensable, which eliminated Zhang Fei from the list at once despite the impatient general's hard efforts to control his lately. Age mattered too, as it was a crucial aspect of the undercover, and that left Huang Zhong out. General Guan was too recognizable due to his beard, not to mention he was not present here at the moment, and Ma Chao was to depart tomorrow to guard Xiabian Pass. Any other general would not meet the requirements, which meant that Zilong was the only option. He might be risking a discovery since the Tiger General was renowned throughout the land, but as his many orders had illustrated again and again, he trusted the Little Dragon through and through.

Even though he _did _have to talk with the general about the definition of bravery, especially concerning the most recent incident.

Settling his decision at last, his thoughts now visited a less grim subject – his trusted, sharp, and yet still green disciple. The notion involuntarily brought a smile to his lips although Kongming was still unsure if this would not lead to a more detrimental effect, as the earlier event had implied. The burden was not new and Jiang Wei had done quite well in concealing it, he had to admit, but not well enough. That in itself had told him much about the younger strategist's state of mind.

But one could not help but to smile at the mentioning of love. Love was such a beauty, such rareness at this age of conflict and chaos. The Sleeping Dragon was fairly sure that it was the case in Jiang Wei and, believing that his student was not as well-versed in matters of heart as he was in strategy, he did hope everything would turn out fine whoever the person was. He had his own guesses, of course, but sometimes it was more interesting to see things unfolding by their own accord rather than to find out by himself.

Kongming nodded, a contented smile spreading across his face. Little things like this made life worth its hassles. To spend his next to Xuande and among these people was a choice he had never regretted.

The sound of approaching footsteps informed him of the arrival of his guests, on which cue he immediately straightened his position. The three officers soon entered the pavilion and the two of them gave him their greetings as Jiang Wei took his own place on his right. Then, with a calm voice, the Sleeping Dragon began.

"I thank you both for coming here at my request. As you may have known from our earlier meeting, continuing our siege to this castle is more than doable but hardly advantageous. The Southland Army is threatening our border and defending it before they can put any pressure to our capital is a more pressing matter if we are to win at the end. However we cannot leave Wei out of our surveillance. In fact I have a small idea which may turn the tide of this battle to our favor."

Pointing to the desk which was covered abundantly with maps, he explained, "The main army will pull back to Chengdu, but to the borders of Fan Castle I will send spies to reconnoiter. Cao Ren is the commander put on charge at the castle, a man of great skill and caution. Regular spies will not do. Therefore, I have to ask the two of you, General Zhao and Xing Cai, to carry out this task for me."

At this point, Zhuge Liang paused, his keen eyes quietly observing his officers who seemed only a trifle surprised, before resuming, "Under the pretense of man and wife."

The reactions he harvested from his last words were various. A small, faint blush was tinting Xing Cai's cheeks, making them glow even more under the burning of the candles as she opened her mouth, was about to speak when wits suddenly left her and so she settled on stealing looks to the man standing next to her. Aforementioned man had astonishment and incredulity fighting for dominance on his firm visage, which origin was rather clear to the illustrious strategist. At last, a sidelong glance to his right notified him that Jiang Wei might have not moved a muscle, but his lips appeared thinner than they were a moment ago.

It was not amusing. It was not supposed to be amusing, but Kongming had to raise his fan to his lips – as natural as possible – to cover a smile which was threatening to betray him at any moment. The light in Xing Cai's eyes reminded him of Yue Ying, whom he had left to guard their lord, and to the few yet sweet times they had so rarely shared because of the war. But Xing Cai was just a girl, really, one who had just experienced the splendor of love for the first time, and that fact made him smile.

Zilong cleared his throat and Zhuge Liang let his eyes traveled back to the general, who uttered in a tone of uncertainty, "Man and wife, Sir?"

"Yes, General," he replied promptly, adding a trace of impatience to his calm voice. "Do you have any objection to it?"

The unspoken warning hardly escaping him, Zhao Yun bowed with hands clasped together, receiving his order. "I shall perform my duty as you wish, Prime Minister."

Noting the crimson color which only seemed to intensify on the other officer's cheeks, Kongming moved to elaborate. "There is a reason behind this pretense I request from both of you. I apologize from any impropriety I may have implied and further discomfort this cover may cause for you in the future. In this case however, the presence of a 'wife' will lessen suspicion greatly and two will surely be able to work better than one. You will be able to help each other lest one of the unwanted should happen."

With that he gave a fleeting look to Xing Cai and added solemnly, "Which quality an ordinary lady does not possess."

Aware of the Prime Minister's implicit query, the young woman quickly answered, "Of course, Sir. I shall carry out your order to the best of my ability, I assure you."

Satisfied with the compliance, Zhuge Liang rose from his seat and gave them both a sincere albeit slight bow. "I am grateful that you two raise no heavy opposition over this plan. Now if we may move to the details."

"You will depart two days from now at the crack of dawn dressed as commoners," he started, the tip of his fan following a route drawn in the map. "If no considerable hindrance should occur, you will arrive at the border of Fan Castle in four days by taking the main road. There is a small village located at the southwest of the castle, and at the tavern of the village, you will meet a man bearing an insignia on his left hand."

From the fold of his robe, he produced four small pouches, which he then presented Zhao Yun the first three and Xing Cai the last one, and began to explain first to the Tiger General. "In the first pouch I have put a copy of the insignia I have mentioned about, also the name you will use during this mission. I suggest for the two of you to see it after this briefing and commit the symbol and names to your memory. Burn the paper afterwards and this you should do to every counsel each pouch contains."

"The second pouch has a detailed instruction I do not disclose here tonight. This both of you should read once you have arrived and meet this man who will take you to your temporary place. Please follow every instruction written there word by word as the slightest mistake may endanger our plan. As for the third one," Kongming paused, fastening a somber look at the pair of straight, green eyes, before repeating with a lower voice, "the third one is not to be opened under any condition unless Xing Cai goes missing and you have absolutely no clue of her whereabouts or what to do. This situation, of course, we should try to avoid at all cost."

To Xing Cai he repeated the same order in case the worst befell her companion. Finally, to end his briefing he stared hard at the two officers and offered them the last piece of advice. "You have perceived the importance of these pouches I gave you; therefore I ought to warn you not to let them part from your body. If you come to an imminent danger where the secrecy of these pouches may be exposed, burn them before it happens."

"One problem remains, Sir," Jiang Wei suddenly spoke up, which brought all present attentions to his oddly glinting eyes. "One significant problem actually."

The Sleeping Dragon was just about to respond to his apprentice's statement when a shout erupted from the outside. "Kongming! What absurd mission are you sending my daughter to?"

At this Jiang Wei could no longer restrain his amusement and broke down into peals of laughter, followed by Zhao Yun with a smile. Xing Cai, meanwhile, only had enough grace not to drag her red-faced father, who had appeared at the threshold and was glaring at them all, out of the pavilion and only returned the glare with its more vicious version. At the center of these all, Zhuge Liang released a long sigh.

"I shall deal with this."

* * *

P.S.: Is it obvious enough now that I _love_ Zhao Yun? I haven't decided the final pairing though. The next update may be slower since I am currently dividing my attention to my other works as well. Thank you for everyone who has reviewed the first chapter. Review again, please 


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